Soul Food

The holidays remind us the reward of giving back. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, we make a point to give our time, attention, and best guess at presents to those we love. But some members of our country give back every day. And sometimes giving back to them is the greatest gift we can give during the holidays.

Giving Back with Good Food

They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Teresa Ottofaro Devries of Hampton, VA has learned that sharing a home-cooked meal for the holidays makes all of our US defenders feel appreciated. Every Thanksgiving and Christmas she dedicates herself to cooking tasty, healthy meals for the military men and women who can’t make it home for the holidays. It started in 1990. Teresa struck up a conversation with a guard at the local air force base. He hailed from Alaska and couldn’t make it home for Christmas. Teresa threw together three dinner plates and brought the meals to the guards on duty. “Their faces lit up,” she recalls.

Quik n’ Crispy Holiday Meals

24 years later, Teresa starts cooking days in advance to feed hundreds of military members. Keeping in mind our defenders’ physical fitness requirements, she bought a Quik n’ Crispy greaseless fryer in 2008. “Holiday food is heavy enough without adding more grease to it,” says Teresa. “It’s a healthier alternative to giving them the things they like.” That includes home-cooked turkey, delicious desserts and lots and lots of chicken wings. After one commander built her a kitchen in the squadron, Teresa could utilize her commercial hot air oven to make food in a third of the time. “When I have it up and running, sometimes it’s running nonstop,” she says. That often means days at a time, but she’s never had any problems with her lower voltage Model GF II. Teresa praises the Quik n’ Crispy commercial fryer for its durability, versatility, and ease of use.

The Quik n’ Crispy changed the way Teresa gives back to our country and our defenders. “Occasionally I’ll pull it out for a morale boost.” She adds, “The guys love it!” To hear Teresa’s inspirational story first hand—or for more information about purchasing your own hot air oven—contact QNC, Inc.